Pirates of Colonial Newport

by Gloria Merchant

Overview

The stories behind the legends are revealed in this history of Colonial-era piracy and the double lives of those who sailed under the black flag.
 
The story of Newport, Rhode Island’s pirates began with war, ended with revolution, and inspired swashbuckling legends for generations to come. From 1690 to the American Revolution, many of Newport’s fathers, husbands, and sons sailed under the black flag. They sailed into foreign waters, t return home from plundering the high seas to attend church and even serve in public offices.
 
The citizens of Newport initially welcomed pirates with their exotic goods and gold to spend. But the community changed its tune when Newport’s prosperous shipping fleet became a target of piracy in the early eighteenth century. The locals who had once offered safe haven were suddenly happy to cooperate with London’s hunt for pirates.
 
In this authoritative history, author Gloria Merchant covers well-known pirates like Thomas Tew as well as surprising ones such as Thomas Pain. Merchant also explores pirate lore from Captain Kidd’s buried treasure to the largest mass hanging of pirates in the colonies at Gravelly Point.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781625847287
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	799,485
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Gloria Merchant has degrees in both art history and art education and has enjoyed a rich and varied career. She is a member of the Newport Historical Society, Redwood Library and Athenaeum and the Preservation Society of Newport County. Gloria grew up on Narragansett Bay.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 9

Introduction 11

1 The Players 15

2 Newport's First Privateers and Pirates 21

3 Newport's Own Thomas Tew 25

4 Captain Thomas Paine 33

5 Captain William Kidd 41

6 Wicked and IU-Disposed Persons 49

7 Red Sea Pirates Wash Ashore 55

8 A Nest of Pirates 61

9 Newport's Last Pirate Captain 69

10 Muddy Waters 77

11 The Tide Turned 81

12 Stretching Hemp for Pirates 85

13 Ship's Articles 99

14 The Jolly Roger 103

15 Church and State 107

16 Trinity Church 115

17 Pirates and Revolutionaries 119

18 Well-Told Tales 133

Notes 147

Selected Bibliography 151

Index 155

About the Author 159